How do you improve an amazing set of headphones like the Beats by Dr. Dre from Monster Beats Studios? It’s a tough job, but Monster has outdone themselves in all the ways I hoped they would with a new model. The Beats by Dr. Dre from Monster Beats Pros are reference headphones that drop the noise cancellation of the Beats Studios and replace it with top notch noise isolation. They’re built like a pair of $450 headphones should be: to last. With an almost entirely metal construction, these aren’t headphones you’ll be replacing. In fact, you’re going to have a hard time ever taking them off once you first give them a listen.

Before we get to the Siren like qualities of the Beats by Dr. Dre from Monster Beats Pros, let’s talk about some of the preliminary details. These are over the ear, DJ style headphones. The ear cups are huge and very comfortable. The included cable is detachable (and therefore replaceable), is approximately 1.8 meters (thanks to a short coil), has a 1/4″ to 1/8″ converter to support both common audio connections and a special tip to ensure proper coupling with the connector. Just insert the tip into either can and twist. The short coil on one side of the cable is helpful when you start to get a little too far away from whatever is providing your audio.

There are no playback controls on the cable, but honestly, that’s not that surprising. I do wish Monster had more cable options for this model like the Studios though. Instead, you do get an extra feature, relating to the cable. You can daisy chain numerous Beats Pros since there’s an input/output connection on each can. If you’re in a studio environment, this could be helpful, or even if you just want to listen to the same audio source with friends. This also gives you the option of which side of your head you’d like to have the cable on.

The Beats Pros come in any color, just as long as that color is either black or white. Inside the box, you’ll find some standard reading materials, a cleaning cloth and bag for transportation. This is an interesting choice, since the Beats Studios come with a hard shell case that’s clearly more protective than the bag included here. That said, the Beats Studios are made of plastic, not metal, like the Pros. So maybe they don’t need to be protected as much.

The Beats Pros were designed to reproduce audio as it was intended to be heard, like studio monitors covering your ears. Put simply, they nailed it. It doesn’t matter what style of music you like, the Pros sound as good as your source material. Unlike the Beats Studios, the Beats Pros do not have noise cancellation. Why? To more accurately reproduce source material.

Despite this being a logical reduction in features, it’s actually one of the best improvements of the Beats Pro. Instead of noise cancellation, which oftentimes introduces a background hiss, the Pros isolate you from the outside sound. They do it incredibly well thanks to washable high density foam ear cups. Even without any audio playing, Beats Pros reduce ambient noise to a minimum. You’ll still be able to hear tapping and louder noises, but only just. It’s like turning the volume knob on the world down from 10 to 2. Audio at even modest levels is enough to almost drown out the outside world completely. This allows you to listen to your music at appropriate and safe levels since the headphones aren’t competing with much of anything other than your thoughts. And since there’s no noise cancellation, you won’t have to worry about batteries whatsoever. They may, however, make you want to re-encode all of your music at a higher quality. They may make you go from zero to audiophile in five seconds flat.

The Beats Pro are quickly becoming the standard for sound studios, and it’s easy to hear why. The detail that you’ll be able to discern through the Pros is remarkable and you most certainly don’t need to be an audiophile to notice it. One of my favorite albums to test headphones out with is Love by The Beatles because of its dynamics, varying styles, excellent use of stereo and much more. This album hits nearly every target available, so it’s a perfect first test. It’s hard to exactly put into words just how well the Beats Pro handle this album, and honestly everything I’ve been able to pump through them.

I’ve said the following about Beats Studio, but it’s even more true about Beats Pro. If you close your eyes, it’s easy to imagine that you’re listening to an artist in the studio as they lay down the track for the first time. You’ll be able to pick out sounds, instruments and details that you never noticed before, even on songs you’ve heard hundreds of times. These headphones provide an amazing experience, which is exactly what they should do every time you listen to your favorite songs. It’s like watching a movie on Blu Ray after watching it on DVD several times. Yes, you’re experiencing the same thing, but there’s so much more to appreciate.

The Beats Pros were designed to reproduce your source audio as accurately as possible, but that doesn’t mean you can’t feel the noise. You don’t just hear the music, you feel it. Bass reproduction is incredible for a set of headphones that aren’t enhancing the experience with anything other than extremely high quality parts. Bass can easily be felt, again, even at modest volume levels. This just goes to show you that you don’t need enhanced bass, you need headphones or speakers that can handle audio the way it really is. I tend to trust audio engineers since they should know what they’re doing with an artist’s source audio better than I. So I don’t like to apply equalizer settings to music ever. It’s very satisfying to listen to music as intended without less than stellar headphones diluting the experience. So, so very satisfying.

The only way I can imagine these headphones getting any better is by possibly making them lighter, if that’s even possible. The Beats Pros are built like shiny futuristic tanks. Nearly everything is metal or other durable materials. Instead of hinges that fold, Monster chose to make the ear cups rotate. I imagine this will last longer than a regular hinge. It serves two purpose: you can flip up one ear cup to hear what’s going on outside (useful if you’re a DJ or the like) and to conserve space for more easy transport in the included bag (like hinges). Everything that actually touches your head is made out of a relatively soft material, inside of which is washable foam. This stuff not only sits on your ears comfortably, it’s the reason you can’t hear anything outside of the headphones. Like I said, they’re made to last, so they need to be cleanable. Monster definitely has all the bases covered here.

For now, it doesn’t get any better than this. The Beats by Dr. Dre from Monster Beats Pros are hands down the best headphones that I’ve ever had the pleasure of testing yet. They reproduce audio as accurately as is possible, which I believe to be extremely important. It’s hard to say that a pair of headphones is actually worth $450, until you’ve heard these at least. But even if they are worth $450, which I think they are, that doesn’t mean you care enough to spend that kind of cash. And that’s fair. That’s the reason Monster doesn’t make just one model of headphones. Everyone has different needs.

If you want to listen to audio the way artists intended for it to be heard, this is how you can do it. That’s something you can’t always say about a live concert. For the price of five or so concerts, you could have a studio-like experience any time you want. You’ll find yourself making time to listen to the Beats Pros. Go ahead, schedule a meeting. They’re that good.

Features

The Apple Watch release is just ahead, and it’s predicted to revolutionize the smart watch and wearable markets. Will it? Follow along with the Technology Tell Apple Channel as we offer news, rumors and insight leading up to the Apple Watch launch in April.Continue Reading »

The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are now out in the wild, and that means you’re in need of a case. To help you make the right choice, Technology Tell is rounding up all of our iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus case reviews in one convenient spot. Dig in to find the best option for your protection needs.Continue Reading »

New iOS and Mac Apps are discovered daily, and can spread without warning. Join us each morning of the work week for a quick look at a new app found spreading through iTunes or the Mac App Store so you’re prepared for the next outbreak.Continue Reading »